2011 NCAAs

We have master's meets at CAL every year. It is not a great pool by any stretch of the imagination. Truly. Now Stanford, Stanford has the luxury accommodations!

So the biggest surprise last night was the upset of Conor Dwyer and not Dyer that Ande had pointed out to me the other day. What was most surprising is that he went 2 seconds slower than his SEC time and was about what he did at last year's meet. Matt McLean made up for his 2010 mishap and did what I thought he would do last year because I picked him to win the event. Last year he went 4:17.48 and he did not make the finals so this was a great comeback for him. In the 200 IM a comment was made that if you go out in 46.9 you are going to win a lot of 200 IM's unless you have a weak *** stroke and Austin Staab doesn't. He came back in 29.5/25.0 to take it at 1:41.57 and it has been mentioned that this time was slower than David Nolan's National HS Record time of 1:41.39 and I believe this is the first time that an NCAA Champion has not beaten the best HS time for that year since Jeff Kostoff 1983 500 Free time of 4:16.39 and the NCAA Champion that year, George DiCarlo went 4:16.93. Jeff Kostoff also broke the American Record with that swim by .01 and he was the last male swimmer to accomplish this as a HS swimmer. I believe Kate Ziegler was the last female swimmer to do this in this same event and her time would have won the NCAA's. The 50 Free was identical to last year if you take out the graduated Josh Schneider because the 2010 2nd, 3rd, and 4th swimmers finished 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Adrian's 18.66 breaks his American Record of 18.71 and that time was with a tech suit. The 200 Free Relay was a surprise and Cal might be the only team with 4 guys under 19 and they got 2nd but they made up for it in the 400 Medley Relay.

Didn't Cal Berkeley purchase a Myrtha Pool and apparently someone jack some of the parts? Or, was it another program that purchased it. I was pretty stunned that someone would actually steal Myrtha Pool parts. If CAL had bought a Myrtha pool, I'd be curious to know where they'd put it? That campus is jam-packed.

OMG! Matt Biondi looks like a different person now! Gray, that's about it. I bet he could get on the blocks now and rock under a :45 in the 100 free.

"Breaststroke Coaches". Geesh, I guess that Cal Berkeley has some budget for the swim team. On my college team, we had a few coaches with an all around approach. All unpaid, volunteer assistant coaches...

"Breaststroke Coaches". Geesh, I guess that Cal Berkeley has some budget for the swim team. Speaking as a UC faculty (and former Cal faculty) there is no plethora of money anywhere in the UC ... UC Irvine and Davis cut men's swimming last year to go along with UCLA. Berkeley does not have great facilities or huge amounts of capital. Stanford? That's another story. Cal just has a great team, devoted swimmers, and devoted coaches.

If CAL had bought a Myrtha pool, I'd be curious to know where they'd put it? That campus is jam-packed. Maybe they could float it out in the bay. :) Stanford is pretty posh. It's hard to imagine getting to go on a recruiting trip there and NOT signing. I've never been to Cal's campus so I can't comment there. As for the meet, I guess a miracle could happen, but I'd say the fat lady has pretty much sung. The battle now is for second.

looks like the Longhorns came to swim

SO glad to see Mark Dylla win the 200 Fly (for real this time)!! What a great swim. I especially liked his comment that when he turned on the last 25 he was thinking "game over."

WAY TO GO BEARS! YOU WERE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. CONGRATULATIONS TO DAVE DURDEN ON BEING A PHENOMENAL COACH, AND TO HIS WIFE FOR HER ENTHUSIASM AND SUPPORT! WELL DONE :applaud: :bliss: :cheerleader: :chug: